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Glenn misses the point. It's not really a question of whether there's been bipartisanship or paralyzing gridlock in the Congress. The American people believe the latter, because the stark ideological divide has created the perception of extreme partisanship. And, as the cliche' goes, perception is everything. If Obama expects to have broad public support for his programs, he'll have to make the people believe that he has done everything humanly possible to create an atmosphere in which consensus can be achieved. Otherwise, when he needs a public outcry against the Republican ideologues, who are sure to do everything possible to ensure his failure, he won't have it. With broad public support, Obama and the Congress will at least have a shot at getting enough semi-moderate Republicans and conservative Democrats to vote with him on large issues such as the economy, health care, energy independence and the environment. Forgiving Lieberman, who certainly doesn't deserve it, is a very public part of the strategy and essential to its success. I'm amazed that Democrats can do something so intelligent.
